Part 1. A healthy, active city
3. Who does what?
Partners for active living
An active living strategy should encourage community participation, partnerships and shared power and decision-making. One of the selling points for active living is that many people from a variety of sectors are already involved and eager to contribute. Strong physical activity plans draw on these supports by creating partnerships among the public and private sectors and civil society (Box 6).
Public sector
Elected officials need to take a leadership role in developing and championing an active living strategy, not only with the public but also with their colleagues. Everyday decisions related to priorities in funding, urban design, recreation, transport and regeneration priorities all influence people’s activity levels – and ultimately their health and well-being.
Municipal sport and/or recreation services usually manage city programmes related to physical activ-ity, parks, playgrounds and facilities such as swimming pools, playing fields, arenas and community centres.
In some cities, public health departments lead community efforts to increase physical activity for spe-cial populations and in certain settings in partnership with communities, schools, local businesses and health care facilities. As large employers, hospitals can lead by providing employees with opportuni-ties for exercise and active transport. Long-term care residences and seniors’ homes have a key role (that is often overlooked) in encouraging active living among older people. Primary care physicians and nurses are in an ideal position to counsel on physical activity and refer people to community programmes and facilities.
Municipal transport planners and staff are key to developing and maintaining opportunities for active transport (walking and cycling), discouraging car use and improving road safety. Officials involved in regional and national transport issues (such as intercity trails, national programmes to support public transport and clean air) can also provide resources and technical support for active transport strategies.
Urban planners have a leadership role to play in designing and maintaining the built environment in ways that promote active living. Urban planners become effective champions of active living when they consider enhanced physical activity as a worthwhile goal in plans to enhance the physical and social environments and act as catalysts in discussing options among broad groups of stakeholders.
Schools (from child care to university) are key settings for physical activity (see Chapter 5), and edu-cators are key in advocating the benefits of active living, counselling on an active lifestyle and teaching skills. Researchers in a university or college can develop pilot projects and evaluations of community-based initiatives in collaboration with residents and sponsor programmes for special groups.
Municipal police forces are important partners both in promoting road safety and preventing crime.
For example, community police can help establish safe and active routes to school and are responsi-ble for keeping parks safe from crime and vandalism.
Government officials and business leaders who promote tourism can be important actors in a physi-cal activity planning process. People like to visit cities that are walkable, attractive, sociable and activi-ty-friendly. Municipal carnivals and special events that feature physical activity attract tourists and bring substantial resources to the city. Holiday destinations on the periphery of the city such as ski hills and national parks are also important to tourism.
Civil society
An urban active living strategy mainly focuses on sport for all. This movement, which emphasizes participation and developing skills, is well organized in all European countries and has a rich history of public participation at the local level. In keeping with the International Charter of Physical Education and Sport and the Council of Europe Charter, proponents of sport for all believe that the practice of physical education and sport is a fundamental right and essential element in lifelong education for every citizen. In recent years, sport organizations have broadened their mandate beyond com-petitive sport to include various forms of everyday physical activity in a variety of settings. Volunteer leaders and coaches in sport tend to hold leadership positions in their communities and can serve as key advocates and mentors for active living in the city. Some specific organizations such as cycling and gymnastics and those representing disabled sport participants can be very effective at encourag-ing and enablencourag-ing policy and infrastructure changes that support physical activity for all. Elite sportencourag-ing events (such as national games and the Olympics) provide opportunities to build spirit, but city hosts need to carefully consider how elite facilities can be effectively used later for active living for ordinary citizens.
Cultural organizations can enrich a plan for active living by providing input and opportunities for active participation in dance and other forms of traditional physical activity. This may be an effective way to engage minority populations and build social networks.
Many voluntary health and patient organizations provide information, programmes, leadership and support for active living. They often sponsor popular events such as walks or runs for diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer.
Voluntary groups working in nature and the environment are natural allies for developing and imple-menting plans and programmes related to green spaces, parks, woodlands, rivers and waterfronts.
Representatives from resident committees (especially in low-income neighbourhoods), services and organizations dedicated to children and youth, ethnic groups, older people and people with dis-abilities provide a voice for these population groups. Representation of people with disdis-abilities (both physical and mental) may be particularly important since they are often overlooked in plans to en-hance physical activity.
Informal groups often form in neighbourhoods: for example, a walking group for young mothers and their babies or weekly pick-up games at a local school, church, mosque or synagogue.
Private sector
Employers can support and sponsor programmes, policies and services that encourage active liv-ing among their employees and families (see Chapter 5). Most workplace programmes for physical activity are initiated by employees or are jointly developed by employees and employers (Boxes 6 and 7).
Fitness clubs and schools of dance are in the business of physical activity. They promote physical activ-ity and will often partner in or lead special events.
Private businesses can provide funds, equipment and/or expertise for special events, building projects, facility and trail construction. Business leaders who are well respected in the community can serve as personal ambassadors for active living.
Mass media (such as radio, television, print and the Internet) are important partners for creating awareness and disseminating physical activity messages, campaigns and events.
Physical activity and health in Europe: evidence for action (2) provides more information on the roles of various stakeholders in promoting active living.
Box 6. Partners in physical activity planning: the public sector, civil society and the voluntary sector and the private sector
Public sector Elected officials Sport and recreation Health
Transport Urban planning Education
Law enforcement Tourism
Civil society and the voluntary sector
Voluntary organizations in sport, culture, nature and health Representatives of residents and special groups
Informal groups Private sector
Employers Employees
Fitness clubs and dance schools Corporate sponsors
Mass media
Box 7. The social and economic benefits of sport and physical activity
The provision of recreation and sport activities for children, as part of a package to help
sole-
support parents on social assistance, can contribute to moving more families off social assistance (17).
Involvement in sport and physical activity can result in greater community ownership and care
of local facilities and resources and can build capacity, skills and confidence in communities, en-abling them to tackle wider community issues (18).
A United States study showed that physically active people have lower annual direct health care
costs than inactive people and that increasing regular moderate physical activity among inac-tive adults might reduce the annual national direct health care costs by many billions of dollars (19).
Employers also benefit, since having a physically active workforce can lead to reductions in
ab-
senteeism and increased productivity (20).
Sport can be useful in reducing crime and antisocial behaviour if programmes are designed to
address specific factors (21).
Medium- or high-density towns and cities in which trips are already being made mainly using
public transport, walking and cycling spend the least on providing transport for their inhabitants (22).
The economic benefits of hosting major sporting events such as the Olympics have been shown
to be negligible, but political, development and sociocultural benefits can occur (23). Events such as marathon running and cycling attract participants and tourists and increase the prestige and recognition of the host city.
Cities can also devise urban regeneration strategies around sporting events. For example,
de-
velopment for the 2012 Olympics will centre in Stratford, Borough of Newham, East London – one of the capital’s most diverse and economically deprived areas. The redevelopment of brownfield sites and a transport hub will significantly improve the face of this neighbourhood (24).